Several game publishers are reportedly considering postponing the release of their upcoming titles to avoid competing with Grand Theft Auto 6.
A new report from The Game Business reveals that industry leaders are wary of going head-to-head with Rockstar’s much-anticipated blockbuster. One executive from a major publisher candidly shared, “Rockstar’s games have a knack for sucking up a lot of market attention and, importantly, consumer time.”
“We’re strategizing several alternative plans for our games,” they noted, clearly aiming to sidestep this potential showdown.
Echoing this sentiment, a senior executive at a different company pointed out that even without the looming presence of GTA, carving out a niche for new games is already challenging. “Time, not money, is what we find ourselves short on,” they explained. “The competition is fierce—for attention more than anything.”
Meanwhile, the European head of a top-tier gaming firm expressed a clear strategy: steering clear of release dates around the end of October and early November.
“We’re avoiding a launch just before or after GTA 6’s release,” they stated. “If it hits in late October, you’re forced to either release early, which many are doing with summer launches, or delay until after, risking collision with Black Friday sales.”
Grand Theft Auto 6 is anticipated to hit the market sometime in 2025, with an autumn launch being most likely.
